Radios Taken From City Cars In Delray

DELRAY BEACH — Nine two-way, hand-held radios valued at nearly $11,000 were stolen late Tuesday or early Wednesday from city cars parked in a fenced lot, police said.

The radios were taken after windows were smashed out of 10 Ford Escorts and Dodge Omnis used by code enforcement and building inspection officers, Police Officer Robert Sylvester said.

The radios do not operate on the same frequencies as those used by emergency workers, such as police and fire departments. By Wednesday afternoon there had been no pirate communications on the system, Sylvester said.

Police think one or two people scaled a 6-foot chain-link fence topped with barbed wire to get to the cars parked behind the City Attorney's Office at 200 NW First Ave.

Once inside the compound, the thieves punched out the rear windows of the cars, officials said.

There were roughly 25 vehicles in the lot, but nine of the 10 cars with broken rear windows had radios inside of them, Sylvester said.

The city is investigating ways to upgrade security at the compound as a result of the break-in.

"We're looking into installing video security on the site. That appears to be our best option," Assistant City Manager Robert Barcinski said.

Lula Butler, director of Community Improvement, the department that oversees code enforcement and building inspections, said the radios were valued at $1,200 each. She was unsure what it would cost to repair the smashed car windows.

The radios are designed to be portable and can charge when left inside a vehicle, Butler said.